HIGH SCHOOL TENNIS: District shines in regional tourney

12-1A tennis teams sending several to state

ABILENE — A trio of District 12-1A schools — Paint Rock, Sterling City and Water Valley — made themselves feel right at home Thursday at the Region II-1A Tennis Championships at the Rose Park Tennis Center.

Paint Rock and Sterling City each brought home regional doubles titles, while Water Valley qualified a pair of doubles teams to state.

Each school also had a third-place finisher that will serve as a state alternate.

All told, the three West Texas schools combined to win 12 regional medals.

For all eight of the state qualifiers, it was their first time to advance past regionals.

Paint Rock seniors Austin Alonzo and Kameron Metaxes rallied from a 6-2 loss in the first set of their regional final to beat Water Valley's Kellan Kirkland and Connor Copley 6-4, 6-4 in the final two sets.

"We were just really nervous at the beginning," Metaxes said. "We just had to calm down and start playing our game. Once we did that, everything kind of fell into place."

The duo hadn't played together before this season as Metaxes transferred from TLCA his junior year.

"It's our first year playing together, so it's pretty awesome," Alonzo said. "Being your senior year and making it to state, it's pretty nice."

Despite the loss, Kirkland and Copley didn't have to regroup for a second-place playback and could enjoy qualifying for state.

"We came out and played really well the first set," Copley said. "Once we knew we were going to state, we kind of relaxed. We had a chance to win, but the Paint Rock team, you've got to give them all the credit. Right now, we're just happy to be going to state."

Kirkland and Copley didn't even advance past district last season, but the juniors made a big jump this season, capping a school year in which they both played on the school's No. 1-ranked football team and state-qualifying basketball team.

"Playing together in football and basketball, it helps playing together in tennis, too," Kirkland said, "because we kind of know what each other is thinking."

Water Valley's mixed doubles team of Sterling Marschall and Melodie Wood wasn't able to advance to state as easily after they were routed in the regional final 6-0, 6-2 by Sterling City's Joseph Block and Savannah Jones.

Marschall and Wood wound up playing the final match of the day for the last state berth in a playback against San Saba's Aaron Krueger and Karlee Cromer.

With about 50 people watching at Court 8, Marschall and Wood shook off a 6-3 loss in the first set to take the next two sets, 6-1, 6-3.

Remarkably, neither Water Valley senior even played tennis last year.

"Both of us decided, ‘Well, we should play this year. It's our last year and neither of us are running track,'" Marschall said. "We both knew how to play tennis. So we got us a team together, played a little tennis, and it turned out to be not too bad."

Wood said making it to state wasn't part of the plan.

"I don't think anyone expected our team, in general, to make it as far as we have," Wood said. "We came into it like, ‘Oh yeah, let's have some fun and let's play some doubles,' but it turned out good."

Perhaps no one appreciated advancing to state more than Sterling City's Jones, who placed third at regionals last year in girls doubles.

This year, she teamed with Block, a district champion from last year, and they've lost only once all season.

"I've worked really hard for it and actually getting to go is awesome," said Jones, who was also an All-West Texas volleyball and basketball player. "This is my favorite sport, so getting to go in my favorite that I love is really awesome."

Block said it was "intense" winning the regional title, especially over a district rival from Water Valley.

"It's a rivalry, and we needed to win it," Block said. "I'm excited about state. I think we'll do pretty good and medal hopefully. Just getting there is a big accomplishment, but winning it is even better."

Sterling City's Gabby Trevino and Selena Navarro took third place in girls doubles. Paint Rock's Tori Grelle and Water Valley's Garrett Sheppard also won third place in girls and boys singles, respectively.

In girls doubles, it was an all-San Saba final as Joannah Crosby and Joely Haverland defeated Morgan Jimenez and Josie Dawson 6-2, 6-0.

The girls singles title went to Poolville's Heather Henson, who defeated San Saba's Kristen Ishan, 6-3, 7-5.

Crowell's Mitchell Parsley won the boys singles title 3-6, 6-2, 6-4.

The state meet for 1A, 2A and 3A will be held April 29-30 in College Station.

Region II-1A Tennis Championships

Thursday's results

At Rose Park Tennis Center, Abilene

(Top two finishers in each division advance to state tournament April 29-30)